Zotoh Zhaan
Zotoh Zhaan is one of the main cast of the science fiction TV series Farscape. A Pa'u of the Delvian Seek, Zhaan is deeply spiritual and an advocate of peace. Throughout Moya's journey, she acts as both a healer and sage adviser to the other members of the crew, though beneath her peaceful veneer she can also be fierce when her friends are threatened by others. She was portrayed by Virginia Hey and appeared consistently throughout the series up until her death in the Season 3 episode "Self-Inflicted Wounds, Part 2 - Wait for the Wheel". History Zhaan is a Delvian, a sentient plant-based being originating from the planet Delvia. Before the series' events, she was a radical fighting against the autocratic regime that had been established thanks to the aid of the Peacekeepers. During this time, Zhaan reveled in violence and was responsible for many deaths. She was eventually captured by the Peacekeepers and charged with multiple murder, sentenced to live out her life performing hard labour. For seventeen cycles, she was tortured by her own dark impulses. When she arrived on Moya less than eight cycles before the Leviathan's escape from the Peacekeepers, she still considered herself wild and murderous. The decision to join the Delvian Seek came to her in a flash while in her cell on Moya. She slowly brought her violence-induced madness under control, meditating and using the mental techniques of the Seek to defeat the savage emotions within her. Her efforts eventually allowed her to become a Pa'u of the ninth level. Season 1 After Moya's escape from Peacekeeper custody, 812-cycle-old Zhaan found a new task placed before her: helping her new companions adjust to their circumstances. She happily aided the human John Crichton in making sense of his new surroundings, counseling "time and patience," and shared her compassion and wisdom with the rest of the crew. She became a valued friend to Pilot and Moya, and her patience with the arrogant Rygel and hostile Officer Aeryn Sun earned her their respect. Her occasional flirtatiousness with Ka D'Argo was less important than the trust that built between them, and Zhaan's medical and biological expertise with alien species proved invaluable during their subsequent adventures in the Uncharted Territories. But Zhaan's grasp on the peaceful teachings of the Seek did not always remain firm. In order to defeat a malevolent being named Maldis, Zhaan was forced to tap into her darker side and cause pain to innocent beings, which shook the foundations of her hard-won control. She participated with Rygel and D'Argo in the decision to remove one of Pilot's arms in exchange for star charts. She knew the pain Pilot would suffer and understood what a cataclysmic betrayal such a violation would constitute, yet chose to go ahead anyway. Her struggles were further exacerbated during the crew's encounter with the followers of Pa'u Tuzak on the New Moon of Delvia. Tuzak's daughter, Pa'u Tahleen, sought Unity with Zhaan to learn how to remain sane after calling upon her darker impulses to do violence, but Tahleen was greedy and ravaged Zhaan's mind in an effort to seize the Pa'u's self-control. The violation released Zhaan's inner fury, and it took a hazardous Unity with John to regain her inner calm by allowing her to draw on Crichton's perception of her trained self, the restoration of her sanity also allowed her to reach the tenth level of the Seek. Season 2 These events disturbed Zhaan greatly, and she decided to set aside her priest's robes--and her interest in the Seek--until she came to terms with everything that had happened. It took nearly a cycle of struggle before she could take up her role as a priest again. She continued to walk the line between the violent and compassionate sides of her personality, though most of the time, her better angels prevailed. The weakened Maldis sold a painting to new Nebari crew member Chiana through an extension of himself and the painting depicted of Moya's crew "deaths." Zhaan again confronted Maldis and was able to defeat him again. Like most mature Delvians, Zhaan had no self-consciousness about her body or sexuality, and was considered quite beautiful by the standards of many humanoid species. She usually dressed in shimmering aquatic colours when not attired in her Pa'u robes, but was often nude while meditating in her quarters. Though not overly sexual, she had a very sensual side, which came out at odd moments. She was especially sensitive to ionic radiation from solar flares and pulsars, which would trigger intense feelings of sexual pleasure she referred to as "photogasms." Though her last romantic relationship had ended very badly, she was open to advances from a number of different aliens, including the Banik slave Stark, whom the crew rescued from Scorpius's Gammak Base. Zhaan took her religion very seriously, and regularly invoked her goddess's support with prayers for strength, protection, mercy, and good fortune for Moya and the crew. She was tolerant of and curious about others' beliefs and, with the exception of the Peacekeepers, usually had no prejudices against other species. Her religion stressed peace and diplomacy, but she was capable of defending herself against physical attack when pushed. As she said on one such occasion she is soft, not weak. As a Delvian, Zhaan's blood was considered a rare pharmacological substance, and she was placed in jeopardy at least once because of this reputation. When Chiana joined the crew, Zhaan served as a surrogate mother to the young Nebari runaway, teaching her the rules of the ship and restraining her when necessary. She saw the value and goodness in each of her fellow crewmembers even when they infuriated her. An encounter with Kahaynu, one of Moya's Builders, allowed her to actually hear the Leviathan speak, an experience she regarded as one of the most profound of her life. She assumed a great deal of responsibility for Pilot and Moya, and rededicated herself to protecting them. Like D'Argo, Rygel, and Moya, Zhaan was still considered a fugitive by Peacekeeper High Command, and a reward was offered for her return. Despite the dangers that she would face, Zhaan intended to return to Delvia and help her people someday. Season 3 Unfortunately, this future did not come to pass. Zhaan chose to expend nearly all her hard-won spiritual energy in a quest to restore Aeryn Sun to life. She succeeded in raising Aeryn, but Zhaan was greatly weakened in the process and contracted a fatal, though curable, disease. While Stark and the rest of the crew searched for a planet where Zhaan's plant physiology could heal, she herself grew resigned to a peaceful death. When disaster struck Moya once more, Zhaan seized the chance to save the ship and crew she loved by sacrificing herself. In the episode "Self-Inflicted Wounds, Part 2 - Wait for the Wheel", Moya had been speared by a Pathfinder ship. Triggering the vessel's phaztillon generator would separate it from Moya but destroy it in the process, and whoever triggered the generator would be stuck on the Pathfinder ship when it exploded. Crichton, Aeryn and Stark were all willing to step up and make the ultimate sacrifice to save Moya, but ultimately it was Zhaan who made the call. Already suffering from illness and unlikely to find a cure before it was too late, Zhaan chose to end her life by upholding the values she held so dearly, giving up her existence in service to the people she loved. After a tearful farewell to her friends, Zhaan activated the generator, separating the Pathfinder ship and herself from Moya. Seconds later, the Pathfinder vessel was destroyed and Zhaan was vaporised in the explosion. Zhaan's final selfless act exemplified the values she strove to embody. The situation that brought about her second and final sacrifice was completely preventable; a fact that made it all the more painful, particularly for Stark and John. Category:TV Characters Category:Main Characters Category:TV Deaths Category:Aliens Category:Farscape Category:Heroes Category:Killers Category:Heroic Deaths Category:Self-Sacrifice Category:Tragic Deaths Category:Death by Vaporization